Eight Years
by Unloved Grudge
Summary: Three months have passed since our heroes had returned to Vale. It has been eight years since Isaac and Jenna had first met, and they have started to recollect the times they spent together throughout the entire period. Strong scenes of IsaacxJenna.
1. Chapter 1

**Eight Years**

Ah well, its my first Golden Sun fanfic! Writing has never really been much of a hobby of mine, but my interest in it developed ever since I went to Highschool. If you're a Muddy or Flameshipper, then you best leave now, or you may feel slightly insulted!^^

If you're a Valeshipper then, hurrah! You're officially my best friend!

Enjoy!

* * *

_'Eight years, that's how long its been...'_

The same sentence that loops whenever Jenna lies in bed, thinking of Isaac, usually after she meets with him and Garet every day.

It was the usual routine, get up, brush hair, get breakfast, go to Isaac's house, go to Kraden's hut.

Isaac's was oddly similar (bar the hair brushing^^!) but he was often doing errands for his mother before his two friends arrived.

But that was six months ago, before their quest began. When she lived in harmony with her friends, enduring the pain she suffered three years ago. But she felt happy alongside Isaac, who shared a similar pain.

Isaac rarely cried, but Jenna sobbed constantly for almost three months after the 'death' of her family, she often cried herself to sleep, or cried in the arms of Isaac whenever she hugged him.

_'Don't leave me too.'_

_'Its okay, I'm not going anywhere.'_

Jupiter Lighthouse. She remembers it well. She winced after hearing of Karst's grudge. She tried to forget about it after leaving Madra, unaware of what power Karst was capable of. Isaac nearly died on Jupiter Lighthouse, which nearly drove her insane. Although Isaac and Garet were swiftly revived, Jenna was on the verge of breaking down and crying. But somehow, Isaac's response:

_'Its okay, I'm not going anywhere.'_

saved her from losing her sanity. Well, almost.

It has been eight years since she laid her eyes upon him and fell in love, almost instantly. But was afraid to confess her love, fearing that he would not love her in return.

* * *

Jenna lay in her bed, it was well past midnight and she was exhausted. She had just finished helping Felix fix up their roof.

She was thinking about Mia, she thinks that Isaac fancies her. But Jenna can't bring herself to hate Mia for it, it would be despicable. In fact, Isaac had changed quite a lot throughout his adventure. Not by physical appearance but also by personality, he was far more lively than he normally was. Possibly because of Mia? Or the adventure? It was hard for Jenna to tell, but the thought of it drifted her off to sleep.

Felix remained on the roof, thatching a few spots that Jenna and Garet missed. He was contemplating on helping Kraden with his hut in the morning.

_'Time to go to bed, before Jenna starts whining again.'_

Jenna had a dream that night, recollecting an event back when she was fifteen.

* * *

'Hey Isaac!'

The blond Venus adept turned to see his friend approach him.

'Hello Jenna', he replied with a slight grin.

'Are you going to Kraden's without me!?!', she bellowed.

'Well, you were awfully late, so I decided to head off to Garet's'.

'You'd rather go with him than me? I'm appalled!'

'Aw! You're not going to compete with him for my friendship again are you? The two of you are dating right?'

Jenna blushed, ' w-what do you mean _again_? We've never competed over you at all!'

'Well, if you're that desperate, you can tag along', he stated, with a tint of sarcasm.

Jenna fumed at his comeback, but remained silent and followed him to Garet's house.

Jenna gave Isaac a soft punch on the shoulder, 'Well? You fancy any girls yet?'

'You asked me that last week Jenna!'

'I know, but you didn't give me a proper answer, did ya?'

Isaac's cheeks turned red, 'Well....if you'd like me to be honest, I kinda like....'

Jenna beamed, impatient for his answer.

'...Clare Higgins...'

'WHAT!?!', Jenna bellowed, 'YOU LIKE CLARE!?! SHE WORKS AT A BLOODY INN! WHY WOULD YOU FANCY HER?'

'Oh...why are you so surprised over it? She is rather lovely.'

'...she isn't that good looking....'

Isaac felt like teasing her at this point, 'Why? Are you jealous that we'll fall in love?'

'W-what!?!? J-jealous? N-no, I-I have Garet don't I?', she stammered, with her cheeks glowing red.

'Really? You never kissed him, and you seem to think of him as an idiot', Isaac said in confusion.

'Kiss him? Who would want to kiss that ugly mug?'

'Then why are you dating him? Out of pity?'

'Uh, I...guess so?', Jenna's reactions were growing weaker.

'I don't think I'll ever understand whats going on in that little mind of yours, lets go to Garet's', he stated, revealing a smirk.

* * *

But that was almost three years ago and it was unlikely that Isaac would remember anything that he and Jenna did together back then, but she always remembers the good times they had. Jenna had only started dating Garet in order to make Isaac jealous, but it never seemed to work, Isaac didn't care. Not really...

Jenna woke up early the next morning, hoping to help her brother with any other errands he needs to attend to. She also wanted to go hunting with Isaac and Garet.

'Mornin' Felix!', shouted Jenna as she barged into her brother's room.

Felix woke, squinting his eyes. 'Urk! Jenna, give me another hour, I was working late last night.' Felix pulled the duvet over his head, in an attempt to ignore her.

'So? Come on! We've more work to do! I want to go hunting with Isaac!'

'Jenna, you'd do anything to go hunting with him, when will your obsession end?', he groaned.

'Come on, get the hell out of bed!'

'Jenna, if you want to go hunting, then just go. Leave me in peace! I won't feel left out.' He turned his head towards the wall.

'I'll scream if you don't get up...', she whispered.

'You've grown out of that, it doesn't matter to me.'

'Aw com-'

'Jenna, please! Just go hunting with your boyfriend and leave me alone!', Felix snuggled into the covers and closed his eyes, hoping that Jenna would leave.

'Alright then, I'll just tell Sheba about-'

'Jenna!!!'

'Okay! I'm going! Sheesh!'

Jenna marched downstairs, only to be greeted by her mother.

'Good morning Jenna, sit yourself down and I-'

'Can't talk Mom! I'm going to Isaac's!'

Jenna sprinted out of the house, carrying a slice of toast in her mouth and headed towards Isaac's house, where she agreed to meet him and Garet.

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 2 is on its way! Stay tuned, R&R please! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Chapter 2 is finally up!

If you had been subscribed to this fic (or maybe not -_-) you may have received two e-mails about Chapter 2, if so, sorry. I had to scrap those two attempts, one had too many typos and the other sucked.^^

Anyway, sorry for the long intermission and I hope you enjoy my fic!

* * *

As Jenna made her way across the bridge overlooking Vale's river. She halted and noticed that Isaac was on his roof, gazing at the sky. She made her way towards the cottage.

'Hm? That's unusual, you're always ready when I arrive', exclaimed Jenna, as she ascended on the roof.

'Surprising isn't it? Garet is doing chores, he won't be out till noon', Isaac chuckled, as he tilted his head towards Jenna.

'Aw, so we're not going today?'

'We? The last time you tagged along, you didn't even touch a deer. I could have sworn you were afraid of them!', he had started gazing at the sky again.

'Afraid!?! I wasn't afraid! I just don't feel that killing harmless creatures is such a decent sport, we should be going after something a bit more....more....vicious.'

Isaac started laughing, 'Really? Well, you should head down to Vault, I heard they have a few outbursts of Mushroom Men.'

'Isaac!', Jenna frowned.

Isaac sighed, 'Well, what should we do now?'

'Hm?'

'Well seeing as you're here, we may as well do something while we wait', Isaac suggested, as he turned his head towards Jenna.

'Well, there isn't anything going on today, unless you feel like helping my brother fix up Kraden's roof.'

'Nay, I've done enough chores, I just want to go hunting with Garet.'

'So? Are you going to spend the entire morning lazing around on your roof?'

Isaac didn't reply, there was merely a single moment of silence. _'Urk! He's so boring today!'_, but she remained silent and crawled closer towards Isaac.

'Bored?', questioned Isaac.

'Yes, want to walk down to the plaza with me?'

'We always do that, anything else we could do?'

_Kiss, perhaps? I'm sick of waiting, Isaac!_

'I dunno...', replied Jenna.

There was another moment of silence. Jenna was getting frustrated, having to wait all morning until Garet is ready to go hunting.

'Isaac?'

'Yes?'

'Do we need Garet to go hunting?'

'Yes, unfortunately, I need **someone **to carry around the equipment.'

'Good point...'

Again, a moment of silence interrupted the conversation. Jenna lay next to Isaac, gazing at the sky, somewhat relaxed.

* * *

_A recollection of their meeting at Contigo, one week before the release of Alchemy._

Jenna had been standing topside on the ship docked at Contigo, she looked on the as the sun set.

'Good to see you Jenna.'

Jenna turned around, to see that Isaac had been standing behind her.

'Isaac!', Jenna smiled.

'I never got to say hello-'

Isaac was interrupted by Jenna, as she ran into his arms.

'Woah, I see you're a bit happy to see us, eh?' Jenna turned red, she released her grip and looked at Isaac.

'Six months....I'm sorry it took us so long to reunite.'

'Don't apologize Jenna, I'm the one who should be apologizing, we weren't strong enough to save you from Saturos and Menardi in Sol Sanctum.'

'Isaac...its not your fault, not at all.'

'...Well, I'm glad that you're safe.'

'Me!?! Safe!?! What about you? You were nearly killed at the lighthouse!'

'I know, we screwed up badly. Its hard to believe that Mia and Garet made it out of that trap unscathed.'

Jenna looked away, _Mia? That girl...does Isaac....._

'Um, Isaac?'

'What is it?'

'That girl....I mean, Mia.'

'What about her?'

'Do you....like.....'

'Jenna, look, you needn't be jealous, shes just-'

Jenna's cheeks turned red.

'I'm not jealous!!!'

'Then why are you asking?'

'I-I...just want to know if you.....l-like her more than Clare Higgins...?', stammered Jenna. She looked at the ground to avoid eye contact.

'Jenna. Clare left Vale over a year ago, why would I still like her? Don't be idiotic', he replied, with sarcasm. Jenna looked at him, followed by a brief frown.

_Idiotic!?! _'Oh? Did you develop a new attitude?', sniggered Jenna.

'Heh, you haven't seen one bit of it yet', he replied, revealing a smirk.

Jenna smiled blandly. 'I missed you Isaac.'

'I missed you too Jenna, we were really worried about you.'

_Isaac... _'Thank you...', she whispered.

'Okay! Lets head inside, before Garet starts wondering where I am.'

'Sure.'

* * *

'Oi! Jenna!'

Jenna opened her eyes, only to see Isaac looking over her.

'Isaac? Gah...oh dear, I must have dozed off....', she stated, as she sat up. 'I-is Garet back?'

'Nope, unfortunately.'

'Aw! How long does it take for that slouch to do a few chores!?! His mum must be a slave driver.'

'Man, this is boring...'

'Well come down to the plaza then!!!'

'No! Don't chastise me over it!'

_5 minutes had passed, there was still no sign of Garet._

'Want to go get a cup of coffee?', suggested Jenna.

'I don't have any money on me right now.'

'I've a few coins!'

'No you don't Jenna, and whenever you do you never have enough.'

'...Whatever....'

_Another 5 minutes had passed._

'You're awfully boring this morning, Isaac', moaned Jenna.

'There isn't anything to do, let alone talk about.'

'Well...' Jenna sat up straight and folded her arms, 'do you remember when we first met? You know, eight years ago?'

'Eight years, yeah I remember, Garet told me you had a crush on me back then.' He tilted his head towards her. 'Did you?'

Jenna blushed, 'N-no!!!' _Screw you Garet...._

'You were pretty much the only friend I had, aside from Garet, except you weren't such an odd fish...'

'I'm not surprised, since you had a problem with bullies. It was Gerard and Liam who picked on you, right?'

Isaac sighed, 'Yeah, I was hoping you weren't going to mention that. It was hilarious when you smacked Liam, a ten year old girl versus a twelve year old doofus, quite the conflict I might add.'

'I hated him, he used to call me a piglett. When did they stop?'

'About a year later, after I took up studies in Alchemy.'

'Yeah, I signed up after you, thats when I met Garet.'

'Heh, he was crazy about you, he used to always ask me to arrange a date with you.' Isaac laughed, 'You should have heard him, you dated him when ye were fifteen right?'

'For about a month, I never kissed him, I didn't fancy him either.'

'Then why did you date him?'

'So I could get closer...c-close....' _Shit!_

'Closer to...?', Isaac was puzzled at her weak response.

'I...'

'Hey Isaac! Sorry I took so long!'

Isaac glanced over the edge of the roof. 'Garet!'

Jenna sighed with relief. _That was close..._

_

* * *

_**Be ready for chapter 3! R&R! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

I'm a bit lazy, so apologies to valeshippers for taking so long to update this! I've fixed a few grammar mistakes in the other chapters too!

R&R and enjoy!^^

**Quick note! If you notice any grammar or spelling mistakes then please inform me by PM or review if you can! Thank you. :)**

* * *

The group set off to the south, but they agreed not to go too far past Vault, otherwise the trip home would only be a burden. It was a warm afternoon to Isaac's surprise. The last few days haven't been this warm at all, possibly because the summer months were close. Garet was sweating already. Isaac and Jenna were nearly gasping at the heat.

'I could have sworn we wandered into a desert', Garet choked as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead.

Isaac grinned, 'we've been walking for 20 minutes Garet, don't tell me you're tired already'.

'Its not that I'm tired, its just so hot out here....and why do **I **always have to carry the equipment?'

Jenna rolled her eyes, 'Garet, its just a few blades, food and a bow. How heavy can it be?'

'Its not heavy,' Garet replied, 'its just not very fair that I'm always lumbered with this load on my back. We need a bigger sack, there's too much in this thing.'

Jenna had a little glance at Isaac, a few trails of sweat had started to appear on his face. 'Oh? You're warm too?'

Isaac shrugged, ' a little, what about you?'

She looked away. 'Kind of, I'm just surprised to see you sweating so rapidly. You're nearly as bad as Garet.'

He smiled, '**nearly**? You're going a bit far now.'

She had another quick glance at him and smiled, nearly sniggering. But she remained silent.

Garet started panting, 'alright, can we take five?'

Jenna looked back at Garet, 'but we haven't caught anything yet.'

'I suppose a five minute break wouldn't hurt', Isaac suggested as he rested on a nearby rock.

Jenna frowned, 'didn't you hear me? We haven't caught anything yet!'

'Since you're so determined to hunt, you should head on to Vault and catch a few mushroom men.'

'Isaac! Enough with the mushroom men joke!', she bellowed. There was a brief moment of silence. '...fine...'

Jenna sat next to Isaac, she noticed that a small trail of sweat appeared on her forehead.

'I guess you're warm now', Isaac chuckled. She glanced at him, and was ready to make a comeback, but gazed into his dark blue eyes. Somehow, gazing into his eyes mesmerized her. She remained silent, and eventually looked away.

'Isaac, you brought some water right?'

'Yeah, I've some in the sack.' Garet opened the sack and started digging his way through the weapons, he shuffled the equipment continuously for over a minute before looking at Isaac again.

'There's none here.'

'What!? But I'm certain that I brought some, hand me the sack.'

'Alright.' He handed Isaac the sack. Isaac started shuffling through the sack.

'Swords...bow....s..sandwiches? Uh...I don't remember putting these in here.'

'Um...my mom made them for us,' Garet added. 'I thought it'd be something different than the fruit we always bring.'

'They're very soggy.'

'Um, yeah, I kinda smuggled them into the bag last week and....I forgot they were there...but I'm sure they're still fresh.' Isaac took a sandwich and took a little bite. 'Well?'

'Yeah, they're kinda fresh.' He took another sandwich. 'You want one, Jenna?'

'Yeah, please', she said, accepting the sandwich.

'So Isaac. You forgot the water?', Garet teased.

'Uh huh, I guess you'll have to die from the heat....while we die from your moaning.'

'It doesn't matter, we have to spend the next hour hunting without water, and its so hot out here.' He wiped away another trail of sweat on his forehead. 'And there isn't a single animal in sight, my grandfather wants venison for the festival.'

'What festival?', Jenna asked.

'Yeah, there's a festival being set up this Friday, there will be music, dancing, food. Its all part of the reconstruction of Vale.'

_D-dancing?_ 'What!?! Why wasn't I informed? Isaac!'

Isaac shrugged, 'I thought Felix told you...'

'Nope, nobody told me. And there will be a dance going on too?'

Garet nodded slowly, 'yeah, I asked Mia if she'd like to go with me, but she didn't write back yet....'

_I don't have anyone to go with....crap....what if Isaac...._ ' Um Is-'

'Deer!', Garet whispered.

'Where?'

'Over there, by the river, there's two of them.'

'Get the bow, we'll approach them slowly', Isaac instructed, 'but keep your distance, they'll scatter if we aren't quick enough.'

'We're attacking from range this time? That's unusual.'

'I believe its time to vary our tactics Garet', Isaac turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of Jenna. 'Want to see if you can hit him?'

'Uh...' Jenna was at a loss for words, she never really _killed_ any deer, all she did was graze them to slow them down. 'Can't I just do the usual?'

Garet shook his head, 'you never kill anything Jenna.'

Jenna sighed, 'fine, I'll try. But...' The tone of her voice became vicious, '...just as long as I'm not picked on if I screw up'.

'I'm sure you'll hit it', Isaac encouraged as he handed her the bow.

'Uh....how exactly do I hold this?'

'Here, I'll show you.' Isaac's hand cradled around hers as they both held the bow into position. She trembled, not because of the fact it was her first time using a bow. It was because Isaac was holding her hand, she couldn't tell if it was a sensation or if she felt uncomfortable. 'See? Its not hard. Aim for the one on the right. Whenever you're ready.' Jenna took aim, she knew that it would miss, but she was ready for any satire. With the arrow in position, she released her grip quickly, the arrow launched, heading towards the deer to the far right. However, the shot was not accurate enough and the arrow struck the ground, barely missing the deer.

'Ooh, unlucky.'

'Garet, just fu-'

'Don't mind him Jenna, you nearly hit it, good shot', Isaac applauded, while he retrieved the bow from Jenna. 'Lets move on a bit, we might find more.'

* * *

The hot and dry spring afternoon soon came to an end, the three made their way back to Vale before the sun set.

'Wow, I'm hungry....'

Jenna grinned, 'you're always hungry by sunset Garet. We did well today, right Isaac?'

'Yep, feel like helping us carry the venison?'

'No, I've done enough.'

'You didn't even kill anything', Garet sniggered. 'These hunger pangs are going to kill me, I'm going to head home. Kay is probably taking care of the decorations, this festival is going to be huge!' He beamed, somewhat proud of the work done.

'Yep, they're taking care of the hard work that needs to be done and you're stuck here carrying some meat. I'm sure everyone is proud of you', Jenna playfully suggested.

'I'm doing more work than you, and we do need some meat for the festival. My grandfather needs it and-'

'Garet! We get it! Go home!'

'Alright then, see you tomorrow.' He turned to Isaac. 'Make sure you have someone to go with, I don't want to make you feel left out.'

'Okay, I'll find a girl. See ya.'

As Garet left the plaza, Isaac turned to leave.

'Isaac!'

'Yes?'

'You're going home? Its not dark yet.'

He shrugged, 'I am kinda hungry.'

Jenna bit her lip, she had nobody to go home to. Felix was most likely to be at home, but he probably can't keep her company for the evening. Her parents are probably at Garet's house, helping with preparations for the festival. 'Want to come over to my place? Have dinner with us?'

'U-uh.' Isaac was trembling, unsure if this was merely a friendly invite or something else. 'Why?'

'There's probably no one at home, I'd like a bit of company......Felix won't mind.'

'Uh...Jenna....I don't feel comfortable being asked to have dinner out with my best friend', he muttered shyly.

'W-why? '

'You know...'

Jenna flushed, waves of red surrounded her face. 'I-I didn't mean it like that...No! Its nothing like that...not...'

Isaac ruffled his hair slowly, 'Well...I can't, I'm certain that my mom will be wanting me home for dinner before its dark. Sorry....'

'Oh...its alright', she replied with a tone of a disappointment in her voice. _Should I ask him...?_ 'Hey Isaac.....uh, are you going to the festival alone or....o-or....' She looked away briefly in an attempt to avoid eye contact.

'Yes, I'm going alone.' He remained silent, but immediately took notice of how Jenna was reacting. He thought for a moment, but was eager to find someone to attend the festival with. 'Why? Would you...like to go with me?'

Her eyes widened. 'W-what!?! You want to go with me?' Jenna was shocked at his proposal, she was thinking that he was going to ask one of the stall girls.

'Yes...well _as friends_ of course. Well?'

'I'd love to! I-I mean, yes! Of course!' Jenna was overwhelmed with shock, but somehow, this feeling enticed her. 'I'll be sure to come in something nicer than this', indicating her dress.

'I don't mind, just as long as you show up. Well....uh, good night.'

'Yeah, good night!'

Jenna smiled broadly. _Wow, that went well....I wonder if I could get him to like me....even a little._ _But I shouldn't make it seem like a date. _They separated and walked away from the center of the district, the sun set as they left the plaza.

* * *

**R&R!** ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Finally! I got to make an update!

Damn this two week vacation, anyhow, here is chapter four.

Enjoy!

* * *

'He asked you out?' Felix was puzzled at the invite his younger sister had received.

'Well, he didn't really ask me out. I'm more of an......escort.'

'....an escort? To a festival? Is he trying to get intimate with you?'

Jenna rolled her eyes. 'Intimate? Felix, he just wanted me to go with him to the festival, it shouldn't mean anything. I don't see why you're against this.'

'It's not that I'm against this, it's just....you know, why would he ask you out so suddenly?'

'It was just a friendly invite. I doubt he is trying to get intimate with me.' She folded her arms. 'LIKE you said two weeks ago, "he just isn't interested in you, Jenna."

'Well then...' He cleared his throat. 'Uh...' He cleared his throat again.

'Just say it, Felix.'

'Uh, are you pleased?'

'Pleased? Well, I suppose I am. I mean, at least I don't have to go alone.'

'Well, I actually meant...are you pleased that you've been asked out by the "love of your life"?'

'Love of my life?' She rested her back at the wall, tilting her head slightly to avoid eye contact. 'Where...where did you get that idea from? I like him, but I don't **love** him, Felix.'

'Jenna, nearly everybody knows.'

She shook her head. 'Why do you always have to listen to Sheba? It was just an assump-'

Felix disrupted her by clearing his throat briefly. 'Aunt Alice knows, Dora knows, Mom knows, Dad knows...' The list went on.

Jenna flinched. Such a large part of the community knows about her and Isaac. Her relationship with Garet was never this public, despite the fact that it wasn't really a relationship._ Stupid Sheba and her gossip..._

'....and I'm pretty sure Isaac is on the verge of fin-' He was promptly disrupted by Jenna, who had grabbed him by his collar.

'Did Sheba tell him?' Her sharp, chocolate brown eyes made contact with his. 'Did she?'

'Let me go Jenna. I'm not in the mood for this.'

'Did she tell him?' She tightened her grip on his collar. 'I can still use Flare, Felix', she threatened.

'I doubt she said anything. Sheba isn't that cruel.'

'That's easy for you to say, since you have a soft spot for her!' She held her breath. 'Yes or no?'

'No.' Jenna released her grip and stepped back.

'I'm sorry. I just don't want him to think I'm odd.'

'It's fine. You just need to calm down. Sheba can be very manipulating sometimes, but I doubt she would go that far.'

'Well then', she bellowed cheerfully. 'I need to find something decent to wear, suggestions?'

He shrugged. 'I got nothing. You should browse around the plaza in the morning, see if they have anything decent to sell.'

'Would mom have anything?'

'She's forty five years old. I doubt she would still have anything fancy from her youth. I'll leave it up to you.'

'Are you going?'

'I....doubt it. I'm not one for festivals.'

'Why? Is it because you have no one to go with?' Jenna noticed the nervous look on Felix's face.

'Uh....'

'Sheba? No! Kay! She'd love to go with you.'

'Garet's sister? I really don't think she and I would get along....'

She clapped her hands, 'well, opposites do attract, right?'

'W-well, in some cases perhaps. But I....I don't need a partner at the moment, alright?'

'That's fine. Though you might be left out. Seeing me with Isaac, Garet with Mia.' She closed in on her older brother. 'You never know though. Sheba might get lumbered with Ivan', she whispered. She pulled back, but immediately noticed that her brother's mouth was apart in shock.

Felix shook his head. 'I'll be fine, really.'

Jenna sighed vigorously. Felix was being stubborn, her attempts to convince him were useless. She turned and had started ascending the stairs to go to bed.

* * *

_Eight years ago. _The day Isaac and Jenna had first met. Both were nine years old and barely knew each other. But it didn't stop Jenna. Her outgoing personality was more than enough for her to get friendly with new faces.

'Come in!' Jenna gripped Isaac's snow white hand tightly. The pair had just met and were standing outside Jenna's house.

Isaac flinched. 'Why?' Isaac wasn't comfortable with the fact that he was holding hands with a girl, let alone being invited into her house.

'Why? Because I like you', replied Jenna.

'I....but I-I', Isaac was struggling with his responses, he had never been introduced to a new friend so quickly. _Stupid Felix..._ '...I don't even know how old you are, or-'

'Nine!', shouted Jenna.

'Un?'

'I'm nine, like you. Felix told me a lot about you. Come in! We'll play a game', Jenna suggested, indicating her house.

Isaac didn't know what to do. If he struggled, she might cry, which would annoy Felix. 'The plaza?'

'Plaza? You don't want to come in?'

'I'd prefer to go to the plaza. If that's alright.'

Jenna was upset. She wanted to get friendly with Isaac, even though they had only been friends for over ten minutes. However, she didn't want to spook Isaac. She swallowed her feelings and nodded. 'Okay. But I have no money.'

'I have some, if you want some food or something....' He fumbled with the few coins he had in his pocket.

'Thats good!' She grabbed Isaac's hand and ran down to the plaza, whilst Isaac was struggling to keep up with her.

'I can get us a bit of chocolate, if you want.' He took out a few coins and had started counting them. 'I think I have enough for the two of us.' He approached one of the stalls and picked out some chocolate. He handed Jenna a piece.

'I heard these are awful expensive. But, thanks!' She munched on it hungrily. 'Can we look around a little?'

'Sure'. The day went by quickly. The pair browsed around the village and played around in the forest until the sun had started to set. Jenna and Isaac had started to make their home.

'Isaac...', Jenna chanted softly. Her emotions were on fire. She harbored feelings she had never felt before.

'Yes?'

'I....' Jenna hesitated. She never thought that someone of the opposite sex could be this kind. Her father was a bit of a nag, her brother was ignorant, but she felt that Isaac was different. He was quiet and a bit of a recluse. But he knew how to be friendly. 'Thank you for everything. Buying me things, playing with me, spending time with me.' She touched his hand. 'I really like you. I never had a friend like you before.'

'Uh....no...no problem? We're friends, right?' Jenna closed in on Isaac and kissed him softly on his cheek. She stepped back and noticed that he was as red as a tomato. 'I-I....' His mouth opened and closed repeatedly. He didn't know how to respond.

'Bye. I'll see you tomorrow.' She ran on ahead towards Vale. She felt happy, but didn't know how to cope with such feelings. Did she like him or love him? She couldn't figure it out.

* * *

Yar, Imma soppy when it comes to romance.

**R&R plz**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It's been two years since this fic has received an update. The reason is that I more or less forgot about FF and the wonderful GS community it harbored. I lost interest in literature right before finishing the only fic that I've written that has received excessive praise. However my abilities at literature have improved over the last two years, so there should be less grammar errors and more variety in punctuation and vocabulary.

I intend on writing an additional two or three chapters, and to focus a little bit more on individual characters as I feel that Jenna has received a tad too much emphasis.

This fic WILL be finished within the next few weeks, and I promise that it will suffer from no further hiatuses. So, for the 2 or 3 people who still give a shit about this romantic tale, I present to you: The fifth chapter of _Eight Years_! :)

* * *

Isaac strolled into the cottage, shaken by the proposal he had made to Jenna. _I didn't think she'd say 'yes' with such excitement. _He ruffled his hair vigorously, and let out a nervous sigh. _I'm relieved she agreed to go with me._ Unknown to Jenna and the majority of the community, Isaac had contemplated asking Jenna out for several weeks, but could not bring himself to popping the question. While asking her out to the festival was not literally a date, it was certainly the closest he had ever gotten to one in quite some time.

'Kyle? Is that you?' Dora had strolled out of the kitchen, loosening the knot of her apron. 'Oh, Isaac. Have you seen your father?'

'No. I just got back from Vault.' He peered into the kitchen, acknowledging the stained dishes on the table. 'Ah, I missed dinner. Shoot.'

'I'll fix up something for you when your father gets back from the plaza. He has to collect some timber from the woodcutter's stall.' She took off her apron and draped it over one of the chairs. 'We're thinking of doing some renovations.'

'Eh? We only moved in a few weeks ago.'

'I don't know Isaac, the walls are very hollow around the house.' There was a short moment of silence. 'Anyway, go upstairs. I have to start cleaning up.'

'Sure.' _I think most cottages in the village have hollow walls, mom._

Isaac waddled upstairs and collapsed into his bed. He faced the thatched roof of his bedroom, relieved to be home after such a tiring hunt. He snuggled into the sheets of his bed. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled heavily_. A few minutes of sleep would be superb_.

Five minutes had passed and Isaac couldn't sleep. He tried to force his eyes shut, but he couldn't shake off the tense feeling he caught ever since he departed from the plaza. Then it hit him: He was thinking about Jenna.

* * *

'What are you thinking about?', Isaac asked. He and Jenna had been in a daze for several minutes now, while kneeling in front of the memorial honoring those who perished during the boulder incident a year ago. He looked down, gazing at the pile of flowers the pair had left beneath the large slab of marble.

'The moment before the boulder hit', she choked. 'Just thinking about the most harrowing moment of my life.' Over a dozen villagers had been killed following the eruption at Sol Sanctum, including Jenna's family. She made it her business to visit the memorial at least once a week, and to this day she has yet to break that pact. 'What about you?'

Isaac looked up, locking eyes with his childhood friend. 'My mom. She fell into an extremely deep depression following my father's death.'

'What about your dad?' Jenna was concerned. Isaac was never open about his feelings towards his father's death.

'I'm heartbroken that he is gone, but the conditions my mom went through in the weeks following the incident were unforgettable.' Isaac squinted his eyes, concealing the tears that were about to be shed. 'She would rarely leave the house, she suffered from malnutrition, and went to bed sobbing every night.' He looked away._ Unforgettable._

An awkward moment of silence followed. Isaac looked back down at the flowers, murmuring a short prayer before closing his eyes. He felt a warm soft hand rubbing against his back, that eventually trailed its way up to his left shoulder. He opened his eyes and glanced at Jenna. Her neat, red hair flowed with the wind while the glowing summer sun shone brightly behind her head. She gave him a broad smile. 'It's okay to cry Isaac. There's no point holding it in.' She squeezed his shoulder tightly. 'You'll feel better afterwards,' she outlined cheerfully.

'N-no, I'm alright. Thank you for the concern but I...I...' His words trailed off into tears as images of the incident flashed into his mind. _Kyle! Kyle! _The looks of disbelief on the faces of both of his parents struck the depths of his mind like wildfire. The echoes of his mothers cries hammered his conscience like the beat of a drum. _Kyle! Kyle!_ His cries were interrupted by Jenna's warm hand as it gently caressed his hair.

'I know how you feel. It's alright.' She ruffled through his hair. 'You feel any better?'

'Yeah, I do now,' he whimpered, wiping away the trails of fluid left on his face. 'Funny, considering that you're the one who always cries.' He giggled softly and looked at Jenna, gazing into her dark brown eyes. 'I feel much better now. Thanks Jen.'

'No problem.' Her eyes remained fixated on his. They gazed at one another for a brief moment, before Jenna sat up and brushed off the dirt on her dress. 'I should get going. Thanks for coming by with me.' She avoided eye contact this time, shyly gazing down at the memorial slab.

_I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable._ 'Jenna!' Without thinking, Isaac stood and grabbed her hand tightly.

'Huh? What's wrong?' She turned her head, noticing how colored Isaac's face had become. Slowly, her eyes trailed down to discover her friend's hand wrapped around hers.

Isaac just stood there, unable to utter a single word. _Shoot! I just had to make things awkward, didn't I?_ He collected this thoughts in an attempt to think of something to say. 'I-I, just want to...to,' he stuttered. 'I just want to say that...if you ever need someone to come with you here, be sure to pop by my place.' His voice lacked any degree of sincerity.

'I'd really appreciate that.' She continued to gaze at Isaac's hand. A huge wave of heat welled up inside her, and she was unable to divert her eyes elsewhere. 'I-I really would!'

Jenna's awkward response gave Isaac an advantage. It gave him an opportunity to flatter Jenna without jumbling up his words. 'You and I have been friends for six years now. If you ever need anyone to comfort you, I would be more than happy to be the one to do it.' _Why won't she look at me?_ 'Kinda like how you cooled me down just a moment ago, right?'

'Y-yeah.' Jenna's hand eventually wriggled its way out of his grasp. She risked a glance at him. His deep blue eyes were fixated on her, causing the gush of heat inside her to rage even harder. 'S-six years. Kinda hard to believe it's been that long, right?'

'Yeah, six years is a pretty long time.' He rubbed the back of his neck, and diverted his eyes down towards the flowers. 'At least, I think it is anyway.' Another brief moment of silence interrupted their conversation. Isaac was unable to so much as even look at Jenna. _Why am I being so shy right now?_

Jenna sighed softly, and continued to brush the dirt and grass off her dress. 'I need to go, Isaac. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?'

'Yeah sure.'

'Bye.' Jenna took a step forwards, but hesitated. Isaac was still looking down, which was completely strange relative to the excess of confidence he typically portrayed. She was about to raise her arms up to hug him but couldn't gather the strength necessary to do so. The last few minutes of Isaac's eccentric behavior had really overwhelmed her. She fiddled with her hair for a brief moment to catch Isaac's attention, but his eyes remained fixed on the ground.

'Bye.'

* * *

_Now it's been eight years since we've met._ Isaac was left dumbfounded by the echoes of the term 'eight years' in his mind. _Time really flies huh?_ He continued to stare at his roof, before the calls of his mother brought him back to reality.

'Dinner's ready!'

He sat up and crawled his way out bed. 'I'll be down in a moment!'

_Eight years._ It continued to echo through his mind for the rest of the night.


End file.
